France said Wednesday it would oppose EU proposals to allow the
use of vegetable fats in chocolate, a move which threatens to slash
imports from cocoa-exporting countries. "We must learn from the 'mad
cow' crisis," said European Affairs Minister Michel Barnier.
"Consumers demand and will increasingly demand quality, authenticity
and purity in the products they consume."

The European Commission put forward proposals last week to
authorise the use of up to five percent of vegetable fats, other than
cocoa butter, in making chocolate. The change could have drastic
consequences for the cocoa industry. EU officials said imports could
fall by 120,000 to 150,000 tons per year and upset the economies of
cocoa-producing Third World countries.

France will cooperate with developing nations which produce cocoa
to protect the industry, and "warn the European community against any
modification of the internal market rules," Barnier said. Austria,
Britain, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Portugal and Sweden already sell
products labelled "chocolate" which contain vegetable fats.

Under the proposal, each of the European Union's 15 member states
would reserve the right to forbid their national chocolate makers
from using any fat other than cocoa butter. Groups representing
French chocolate makers and cocoa-producing nations have protested
the proposed rule change.